21:1 7 When the Canaanite king of Arad 8 who lived in the Negev 9 heard that Israel was approaching along the road to Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner.
28:9 “‘On the Sabbath day, you must offer 11 two unblemished lambs a year old, and two-tenths of an ephah 12 of finely ground flour as a grain offering, mixed with olive oil, along with its drink offering.
1 tn Heb “you shall assign by names the vessels of the responsibility of their burden.”
2 tn Heb “by the side [hand] of.”
3 sn For more discussion on these people groups, see D. J. Wiseman, ed., Peoples of Old Testament Times.
4 tn Heb “and take, a man, his censer.”
5 tn This verb and the following one are both perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutives. Following the imperative they carry the same force, but in sequence.
6 tn The Hebrew text uses singular pronouns, “I” and “my,” but it is the people of Israel that are intended, and so it may be rendered in the plural. Similarly, Edom speaks in the first person, probably from the king. But it too could be rendered “we.”
7 sn This chapter has several events in it: the victory over Arad (vv. 1-3), the plague of serpents (vv. 4-9), the approach to Moab (vv. 10-20), and the victory over Sihon and Og (vv. 21-35). For information, see D. M. Gunn, “The ‘Battle Report’: Oral or Scribal Convention.” JBL 93 (1974): 513-18; and of the extensive literature on the archaeological site, see EAEHL 1:74-89.
8 sn The name Arad probably refers to a place a number of miles away from Tel Arad in southern Israel. The name could also refer to the whole region (like Edom).
9 tn Or “the south”; “Negev” has become a technical name for the southern desert region and is still in use in modern times.
10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn The words “you must offer” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied. They have been supplied in the translation to make a complete English sentence.
12 sn That is, about 4 quarts.
13 tn Or “steppes.”
14 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Again this expression, “the Jordan of Jericho,” is used. It describes the intended location along the Jordan River, the Jordan next to or across from Jericho.
map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.